Our teachers come from many different backgrounds. What we have in common is a commitment to engage our chosen art forms with lifelong study. We are excited to share our knowledge, passion, and experience with you. Click on a photo below to learn more about a teacher, see their schedule and read their class descriptions.
Andrea Thompson has been a licensed massage therapist in Oregon since 1999, and she has been dancing in some form since she stepped foot outside of the womb. Her practice focuses on teaching Menstrual and Womb Wisdom, assisting pregnant mommas as they transition, helping babies integrate into the world, and resolving trauma and restrictions in the body via Craniosacral Therapy and Arvigo Techniques of Mayan Abdominal Therapy®. Offering Ecstatic Dance at Flying Tortoise for POC in the Portland area is an extension of her desire to facilitate healing in others by helping them to tap deeply into their own body’s inherent wisdom.
Audrey Younkin is an experienced martial artist. She has studied Muay Thai in depth and has close relationships with some of the best in the field, including Ajarn Chai. We are delighted to welcome her to Flying Tortoise!
Kelly Criglow has been practicing yoga for over 15 years. She is a graduate of Portland Yoga Arts Advanced studies and has been teaching yoga since 2008.
At the age of six he began learning from his father, Steven Diaz, a 6th Dan in Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan. He has trained in Seol, New York, San Francisco, and Portland in a number of internal systems. He holds a 4th degree black belt and master instructor rank in the Korean art of Soo Bahk Do.
Autumn Edmonds has been teaching classical ballet in the Portland area for over 15 years. She delights in teaching students of all ages the beautiful art of ballet.
Since the age of 5, i have wondered about the effect that movements have on me. Eventually, as i grew, it became evident that dance is my main source of self expression. However, what is self expression through Movement? This question has taken me on a journey; my dance journey. Over the years, I've been influenced by styles such as African contemporary, Hip Hop, Salsa, House and more. Today i define myself as a freestyle artist and go by the dance name of Slick C.
Barbara Fergusson supports and empowers her students with her relaxed, knowledgeable leadership in the classroom. Her teaching approach honors the individuality of each student, and endows them with the ability to recognize good alignment and find a correct sense of ease within each pose. Her goal is to teach students to tune into their own individual reaction to each pose, and see their practice as a series of lessons that can be applied both on the mat and in the world. A master teacher who has inspired several of her students to become teachers, Barbara began teaching yoga in 1980. She and fellow Yoga Room graduate Todd Jackson opened Portland Yoga Arts in 2002.
Kali Giaritta enjoys teaching dynamic yoga classes that incorporate more than just asanas (physical poses). In a typical class, you might learn a new breath exercise, meditation technique, a sanskrit phrase, or a good yoga joke. Kali's experience as a nationally touring musician, performing for a wide diversity of audiences, has also made it possible for her to quickly read a group of people and know what is needed to create a safe, supported and positive atmosphere.
Benjamin Gitchel, a qigong student of William "Uncle Bill" Frazier, has been a practitioner of JinJingGong since 2007, and has recently returned from studying in China at Mt. Emei with lineage holder Prof. Wang Qingyu, and the North American lineage disciples. His other passions include trance work and hypnotherapy (CHt, MNLP), as well as the study of harmony through number, geometry, and sound. He currently resides in Aurora, Oregon.
Katherine Haber, L.Ac teaches classes that focus on strength and invigoration through physical and meditative practices. She teaches the kids' capoeira programs at Flying Tortoise. All her life she has participated in physical activities. Following her diverse interests, she has worked with groups such as Ballet Arizona, The Little 500 and Team in Training. She own Laurelhurst Family Clinic next door where she practices acupuncture and Chinese medicine.
Robert Richardson has been practicing martial arts since 1994 and been studying with Josef Haber since 2009, focusing on Ba Gua Zhang and Xing Yi Quan. His teaching approach emphasizes the biomechanical principles and underlying kinesthetics behind the kung fu rather than rote forms or prescriptive techniques. Robert also teaches introductory biology classes at Portland Community College.
Fritz Rice is Josef's Beijing training partner. He will be traveling from Seattle to Portland about once a month to teach Chen Tai Chi at Flying Tortoise. First class will be July 23, 2017 1:00-3:00pm.
Shanna Tani has delighted in headstand and lotus pose since childhood. Discovery of yoga as a college athlete and advanced training at the Iyengar Yoga Institute of San Francisco taught her such poses practiced mindfully improve strength, flexibility, focus and self-awareness. Teaching with care and kindness, she encourages students to nurture themselves in their practice.
Ed Barrow is a veteran martial artists. He studied Shaolin in San Francisco with a string of renown teachers from 1977-1996 including Grand Master Kuo Lien Ying andMaster George Xu . In China, Ed Ching Shong Bao. Over the past 40 years Ed has studied Yang Style Tai Chi, Qi Gong, broad sword, rattan staff, knives, Wu Mei Lan Shou Shaolin Chuan, Xing Yi Quan and Chen style Tai Chi. Please click photo for more details!
*ED IS TAKING SOME TIME OFF TO RECOVER FROM INJURY AND WILL RETURN AS SOON AS HE IS ABLE.
Josef Haber, L.Ac began his study of the martial arts 1988. In the years since, he has been consistently dedicated to his training. In 2010 Josef graduated with honors from Emperors College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Santa Monica and returned to Portland. Later that year he founded his schools of BaGuaZhang and Capoeira. Josef teaches with an emphasis on student empowerment, utilizing the deeply transformative qualities of the arts he teaches.